70 and Another Bureacratic Hurdle

Não faz mal...

I turn 70 in five days. Denise turns 70 in 76 days. This means both of us must renew our Portuguese driver’s license. Oddly enough, Denise only received her license a few weeks ago. (After waiting nearly two years….but I digress.)

It’s the Law

Most drivers must “revalidate” their Portuguese driver’s license every five or ten years. But once you hit 70, every license expires in 2 years.

Driving licenses must be renewed before they expire. The expiry date depends on your age or the category of vehicle for which you are licensed…The deadline to process the revalidation starts 6 months before….It is important to renew your license before it expires. Driving without a valid license is punishable with a fine. If you wait more than 2 years after the expiry date to renew your license, you will have to take a driving test (practical part) in order to renew it. — ePortugal.gov.pt

DrOnline.pt

I was waiting to see a doctor at the HPA clinic in VRSA when I happened to run into a friend. I shared with him that after my scheduled appointment, I planned to wait around to see the GP because I needed an exam to renew (or revalidate) my driver’s license. He suggested I save myself time and money by instead getting the necessary exam and documentation from dronline.pt. I logged onto the site and easily found the Driving Certificate appointment type. There were dozens of appointment slots to choose from, the soonest just minutes from when I logged on. I selected an appointment for the next day at 14:00 and paid the fee online. I immediately received an appointment confirmation and receipt.

The next day I was sitting at my computer at 13:50 when I got an email saying the doctor was available and instructing me to click on a button to enter the virtual waiting room. He asked me to hold my driver’s license and resident card up to my computer camera so he could read them. He then told me to “scoot back a few feet” from the screen. (Highly scientific!) I then read a few lines on an eye chart on my computer monitor. He filed the form to IMT online and sent me a copy as well. My appointment was completed before it was scheduled to begin!

Denise followed the same procedure as I with similar results.

Faro, Loja, or Driving School

I assumed I had to drive 45 minutes to Faro’s IMT office, but I decided to ask some Portuguese friends. The first friend said, “You don’t need to drive to Faro. Go to the Loja de Cidadão de Tavira in the mall. You can complete the revalidation there.” But another friend was standing nearby and interjected, “Oh that Loja is always so busy. You don’t want to wait that long. Instead, go to the Driving School in VRSA. They will handle it for you.”

Denise happened to be in Faro and stopped in the IMT office. She did not have an appointment. She walked in took a number and 20 minutes later was sitting in front of an IMT worker. She paid her €15 fee and was told she would receive the new license (by mail) in two weeks.

I, on the other hand, took the super lazy approach. I went to the driving school that is approximately 7 blocks from our front door. My situation has one little wrinkle. i.e. my license had my old Cascais address (which, by the way, SEF has as well). I explained the situation to the receptionist at the driving school. She nodded her head when I explained that it was impossible to get an appointment to change my address with SEF/AIMA. I handed her the form I had gotten from the local Junta showing I did live in VRSA. She explained she could correct the address and get my license for me. It cost €40 and took about a week to receive my temporary license.

Não faz mal (no worries) was one of the first phrases I mastered in Portuguese. It doesn’t typically apply to bureaucratic procedures in Portugal. But in this case, it fits perfectly.

Feliz Carnaval, Na próxima semana Carnaval na Madeira, Tchau

Nanc